Chapter 13 Shade's Battle

It is with great happiness and a little sadness that I announce the ending of this story. This chapter will basically end it and an epilogue will follow to tie up loose ends. Please tell me if I miss anything in this chapter that I should put in the epilogue.

The two voices continued warring over which was Shade, so Link turned and walked down the path. He could not determine which one was true, and he didn't want to take the risk unless he really had to. But he did know that the path might lead him to what he was searching for. So he had to follow it.
The path broadened before me, before reaching a dead end. I walked all the way to the end, and starred at the stone wall blankly. Why would Shade lead me here to a dead end?

'Its because he is trying to trick you! Its an ambush!'

'No. There is a way through that wall mortal. But the key exists within yourself.'

Link focused on the wall, while reaching within himself, trying to understand what key could break a stone wall. Then he noticed the pictures carved in the stone block in front of him. The pictures followed each other, forming a line of pictures which told a story. He saw a community of stick figure people. They lived together in harmony and happiness. But then the shadow came. A great fish from the sky flew down upon their island, and devoured everything and everyone. The people cried out in terror as the shadow took them, and swallowed them away.

Then all that was left were the ruins of the island, and one man who had survived the attack. The stone carvings showed his path to revenge. He took his weapons, and journeyed after the great fish demon. Then, when he found it a great battle erupted.

At this point Link stopped. This was his story. Link's story. Link kept reading. The hero killed the demon fish, but that still was not enough. The death of the great fish did not stop the pain he felt at the loss of his love. Nor did it erase his anger. His anger drove him forward, it consumed him. He became senselessly driven man, who would kill anyone who got in his way. Then, he died a sad, poor man. He was executed under the orders of the Princess of his own country. The Princess he had once been friends with. He had become something far from what he had began as. Link tore his eyes away from the pictures in shock. Surely this wouldn't happen to him!

'The key exists within...'

Link looked up at the picture again. He couldn't let this happen to him. But how could he stop it? The man in the story had fallen because his anger consumed him. Why did his anger consume him? Because he couldn't give it up. And he couldn't give it up because he refused to forgive the deeds of the demon, and forget his rage. He had fallen because of this. Link shook his head. Surely they didn't expect Link to forgive the Wind Fish!

"I know what it is you want," Link said. "But I cannot forgive the Wind Fish. His crimes were unforgivable."

'Are yours any different Link?'

"Yes," Link said.

'But you have killed people as well. And remember what you did to me.'

"Stop bringing that up!" Link shouted defensively.

'I have forgiven you for stopping me from defeating the Wind Fish,' Shade said. 'But have you forgiven me for trying to defeat the Wind Fish, who you were protecting?'

"Okay," Link said. "Maybe I should forgive you. But the Wind Fish?"

'Do you even understand what the Wind Fish is?'

"Yes!" Link said. "He's a demon. A killer. He murders for pleasure."

'Exactly. He is addicted to murder. If you were addicted to murder as well then you would be no different than him.'

Link opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came. He thought for a minute.

"Then why are you trying to destroy him?" Link asked. "If he really isn't purely evil then why?"

'Even those not completely evil must die,' Shade said. 'If we leave him alive then more people will die by his hands. But until he is defeated he will not stop killing.'

Link said nothing. He just stared at the gray wall. Many thoughts shot through his mind. How could he forgive the Wind Fish? The Wind Fish had killed Marin. Oh how he missed her. Link thought this over briefly. Suddenly he realized something. The anger he had against the Wind Fish was not out of remorse for Marin. It stemmed because he was angry that something had been taken from him. He wasn't upset for Marin in that sense. Sure, he felt bad for her, missed her, and wished that she hadn't gone through that, but that was sadness. His anger, however, was unholy. He was angry because something belonging to him was stolen. That something was Marin. Now he understood!

Link's anger would never help bring her back. His sadness, remorse, and pity would. But his anger just weighed him down like a boulder tied to his leg. Now he knew that to get rid of such a boulder he would have to cut it off of himself and cast it away. He would have to banish his anger with forgiveness. Link gently placed his finger under the stone carving of the Wind Fish.

"I forgive you Wind Fish," Link said softly as he let go of his anger and hate.

Suddenly the wall began to glow with energy. The image of the Wind Fish trembled as it was forgiven. The images began to rearrange themselves, but before Link could see what happened at the end the wall in front of him exploded, sending him flying backwards to the floor.

'You did it Storm! Now I can strike!'

Link felt a rush of air as if Shade had leapt away from him. The earth trembled and dust rose from the hole in the wall. When Link rose back to his feet he looked through the hole in the wall, and saw a gigantic room. At the far end of it stood a figure dressed in a baby blue dress with flowing red hair with a flower in it. Link gasped. Her head was bowed and she was weeping.

"Marin!" he said in amazement.

She looked up, her beautiful brown eyes filled with tears. Suddenly they widened in realization.

"Link!" she said, her mouth falling open in amazement.

Link let out a choked sob, and then started running towards her with his arms outstretched in an embrace. Marin laughed almost disbelieving, and started running towards him with her arms held outwards. All sadness left Link, and incredible joy filled him. It was too good to be true.

They reached each other in the center of the room, and embraced each other. Marin cried into Link's shoulder while Link held her close to him. Tears streamed down his face.

"Marin," he said, and then kissed her.

The kiss lasted about a minute, but it was ten times more wonderful and glorious than their previous kiss before Marin had disappeared. This time they kissed out of joy. For love cannot be contained. Not by doors, walls, or even prisons. And it cannot be broken. Not by a thousand of the world's sharpest, swords, or with the might and supernatural energies of a Fish Demon.

Then suddenly there was a crash. They broke the kiss and looked up at the roof nervously. It shook briefly, and a layer of dust fell down from it as the stone crumbled slightly. Slowly the earth began to quake, rattling the ancient caves in which they stood. Suddenly the ceiling turned to a layer of dark storm clouds. Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed. Marin and Link looked up into the clouds. Above them they saw two creatures fighting.

One was wreathed in white energy. The other was shrouded in darkness. The Wind Fish and Shade. But Shade was not the dark figure, and the Wind Fish was not the light one. Shade now appeared in his true form. He stood tall, with feet, legs, hands, arms, a head, like a human. A white flowing cloak surrounded his mighty build and his long hair was thrashed against the side of his face by an unholy wind. And on his back was a pair of mighty Eagle wings which stretched out as they repelled the dark Wind. His eyes were stormy, full of spirit. On the other side stood the Wind Fish, wreathed in shadow and roaring in dark air.

'She is mine!' the Demon roared.

'The darkness will not claim her!' Shade shouted, drawing forth a white flaming sword.

He struck. The Wind Fish lurched back under the blow as searing flame scorched him. The Wind Fish sent a stream of dark energy blowing through the wind into Shade's chest. Then the Wind Fish drew a dark sword of its own. The blades clashed sending sparks of paranormal energy everywhere. But Link noticed something. The Wind Fish was much smaller than he had appeared in the Dreamworld. The dark and light energies struck again. Lightning roared and thunder crashed. Marin clutched Link's arms tightly. The Wind Fish then slashed Shade across the stomach, causing him to fall backwards.

"Shade!" Link shouted.

The Wind Fish turned, and set its foul eyes upon Link.

'Run Link run!'

"Quick!" Link grabbed Marin's hand and ran for the exit.

The Wind Fish roared, and shot down from the dark ceiling towards Link and Marin. The floor began trembling as the dark creature descended upon them. Then Shade shot down, stabbing his blade into the Wind Fish's back, and then grabbing the creature in his mighty arms.

'Aarrgghh!' the Wind Fish roared as its eyes burned in hate and it tried to tear itself out of Shade's mighty grip.

Link looked back at Shade, holding the Wind Fish at bay. Shade looked up, and his eyes met Links. Such stormy eyes they were, burning with holy energy.

'Link! Go!'

Link saw his reflection in Shade's gray eyes. He saw a fighter, a warrior, a protector.

'Go!'

Link and Marin ran. The ground quaked and rocks broke from the roof and tumbled down upon the ground. Link looked back again and saw Shade slam the Wind Fish against the wall and scar his back with a sword. Light energy flowed through the ancient weapon into the back of the Great Fish. The Wind Fish cried out in pain. The Wind Fish struck back, impaling Shade upon its blade. Shade screamed, and fell backwards with the blade burried in his chest. The Wind Fish then turned and leapt towards Link. But Shade shot forward again, and grabbed the Wind Fish's tale, slamming him back against the wall before running him through with his sword.

'Engadga su for emu cah!' Shade sang as he charged light energy through the Wind Fish while the Wind Fish sent dark energy shooting through him. 'Encrotia con so le su fo!'

Shade continued to be scorched by the dark energies, which cut into him, splitting his spiritual body apart. But he just kept singing, ignoring the fact that he was about to be destroyed. Tears fell from Link's eyes when he realized what was happening. Shade was giving his life to let Link escape with Marin.

'Encarscarate tu! This life will come to you! The time will come the life will end, but this is just the beginning!'

Then the Wind Fish, glowing brightly with the light energy, exploded, shattering with a frighful screech. An abyss appeared beside him and swallowed him up. But before he was taken into the pit of flame he sent one more blast of dark energy into Shade's chest. Shade gasped, and fell backwards. The dark energy seeped along his chest, burning at his soul. He breathed, coughed, and blood came up. Then, as he lay there dying the Abyss turned towards him, trying to swallow him into itself. But it couldn't. He did not belong there. Shade's head fell back against the storm clouds as the room continued to shake and fall apart around him.

'I fought for that which is right. And now I fall. But at least I did what was right in the end. Now catch me father, carry me home again.'

His breath grew fainter, and his chest slowly stopped moving up and down. His eyes remained open, looking forward vacantly, but the soul was gone. Then his body dissolved on the breath of the wind, blowing away like sand. It was finished.

Waves. Ocean waves. A seagull call. More waves. Voices. His eyes slowly opened.

"Where did you find them Captain?"

His eyes opened slowly.

"Oh! We get some life now captain!"

"Thank you Massehahan"

"Are they going to be alright Captain Samir?"

"I think so Jessie."

Salty air gently touched his face, and his vision slowly focused. He saw Captain Samir, Jessie, Rohan and Massa'an standing over him. He was lying on the deck of the Hylian ship. The sun was shining and the skies were clear.

"Are you okay Link?" Samir asked.

Tears came to Link's eyes, but he blinked them away, and smiled falsely at his friends.

"What happened?" Samir asked.

"I went to a cave," Link said. "I listened to the right voice. I travelled to a room, and saw Marin again. Then the evil was defeated, and I ran to escape, only to have Marin taken from me again."

Link slowly sat up, and started crying.

"Uh... what?"

Link stopped as he heard a familiar voice. Slowly he turned to his left, and opened his eyes in amazement. There, lying right beside him lay the still form of Marin. Her eyes opened slowly, and she squinted in the light.

"Link?" she moaned.

"Marin!" Link said, as joy filled his heart.

He threw his arms around her and they embraced right there on the deck of the ship.

"I thought I'd lost you," Link said as he held his girl tightly to him.

Tears streamed down his cheeks. Marin clutched him to her, crying quietly out of joy. The other men on the ship just watched this happen in amazement. Then Marin and Link wrapped their arms around each other and kissed. Then they pulled away, and just looked into each other's eyes.

"I love you," Link said, staring into her beautiful brown eyes.

Marin smiled, and giggled quietly.

"Really?" she said. "I love you too."

Then they kissed again. Then suddenly there was a flash in the sky. Link and Marin slowly stood up, and looked up into the sky, holding hands. Then a mighty being descended down from the clouds, materializing out of thin air. It stood eight feet tall, with shining wings and a flowing white robe. Its hair was long, and blew in the wind. Its eyes were gray like the clouds after a storm. The people on the boat fell down to the ground in fear, but Link and Marin just looked up at the creature. They knew him.

"Shade!" Link shouted as his face broke into a smile. "I thought you had..."

'Died mortal? I cannot died. I am immortal.'

Link let out a cry, and ran to his friend, and threw his arms around him. Shade enveloped Link in his arms, and hugged him. His mighty wings extended up to the sky.

'Now you see what I truly am Link. Now you see what the Wind Fish hid from you by making me appear as a nightmare. You remember your dreams?'

"Yes," Link said.

'Do you remember how two creatures were fighting over you? One was me, the other was the Wind Fish. I showed you my dreams, he showed you his. Mine where when I spoke to you and directed you on what to do. The Wind Fish usually showed you images of me being evil. That is what those dreams were.'

"But Shade," Link said. "What happened on the island? I don't understand?"

Shade's eyes lifted up to the sky.

'Don't you remember the legend Link? The Wind Fish was the demon in the legend. He would travel from island to island ensnaring the people into his trap. And then when they all began to worship him, he dragged them down, killed them. He fed off of human suffering. He swallowed them into himself. Call it what you like. There is no happy way of saying damnation. That is why I was sent by heaven to stop him.'

"But what about the dreamworld?" Link asked.

'With Koholint Island the Wind Fish tried a new tactic,' Shade said. 'You see, in the real world I could fight the Wind Fish quite easily, appear to the people who worship him and warn them of his true identity. But in a dreamworld the Wind Fish could make me appear to the people any way he wanted me to appear. So he made all the people on Koholint fall into a deep slumber. They then dreamed the dream which you dreamed Link. Then I entered the dream to do battle with you. When you fell from the boat you hit your head and fell asleep. But a floating piece of wood kept you above the surface of the water. But the Wind Fish pulled you into his dream, so that he could use you to defeat me. And that's exactly what happened. So when the Wind Fish had finally awoken, he grabbed the souls of the people who worshiped him, and tore them from the earth just as he had done in the past. But one escaped... Marin, you are the only one who survived.'

"But why me?" Marin said, tearing up now that she realized that the people she'd know on Koholint had all died.

'Because when Link came to the island you found something more than the Wind Fish,' Shade said, his eyes turning to Marin. 'The Wind Fish was never a god, so you could not truly love him as you would love a god. When Link came you found true love. This lead you to something else than the Wind Fish, because the Wind Fish does not belong with love. It separated you from him, and made it impossible for the Wind Fish to fully take you. Your love for Link kept him from touching you. So instead he imprisoned you in a parallel world where you wandered around weeping and searching for Link. Those were the images you saw Link. They were times when Marin and you were close to each other in the different parallel worlds. Like when you heard her voice out over the sea. And when you saw a ghostly figure of her on the island. And the faint ghostly figure you saw walk across the waves towards you was a hallucination the Wind Fish made you have. It enjoyed tormenting you.'

"I think I get it," Link said. "What happened to the Wind Fish?"

'Its gone,' Shade said. 'When you forgave it you weakened it. The Wind Fish doesn't forgive, so being forgiven is like poison in its veins. You weakened it enough for me to banish it to the Abyss, where it sent all of its victims.'

Shade looked back up at link.

'I was severely wounded in the fight,' he continued. 'It will take me at least five months in heaven to recover from all this spiritual pain. But at least I managed to save one soul from the Wind Fish, not to mention all the souls which would have fallen if that Demon had been allowed to continue.'

Shade then smiled.

'Thank you Link for your help. I'm glad I could return the favor. Go now to Hyrule. Your future is secure. I will return in six months. I have been assigned to watch over you from now on. I will be with you always.'

"Thank so much Shade," Link said smiling. "I will miss you."

'Goodbye, Sunstorm.'

Then Shade rose back into the sky, and extended his wings. Then he was gone.

"Who was that guy anyways?" Marin asked.

"Oh," Link said looking up at the sky. "Just my friend Shade."